Superman’s cinema track record is a bit hit-and-miss. On one hand, Superman: The Movie is a phenomenon of celluloid, but on the other hand, Superman IV: The Quest For Peace exists. While Superman’s movies peaked after one movie and then flatlined, the list of movies he’s inspired are stunning.
Among the movies The Man Of Steel’s influence has been felt in, The Iron Giant and Unbreakableare high on the list of the best. Comparing the two is like comparing an apple to a tomato, but which one is the best Superman movie to not have Superman in it?
Iron Giant: It’s Optimistic Tone
Given that the movie is directed by Brad Bird, the man who directed The Incredibles, it should probably come as no surprise that The Iron Giant is quite upbeat. The film’s optimistic tone mixed with its 1950’s setting truly sells the feeling of the movie being a recreation of an old comic book.
Often the optimism of Superman is dismissed by quote-unquote “fans” who think that it translates to camp. While Man Of Steel sadly seems to side with this misguided opinion, an optimistic story can still have stakes. The Iron Giant is proof of this if proof be needed.
Unbreakable: Deconstruction
Recently, a lot of great superhero deconstructions have been popping up like The Boys, but Unbreakable was the ultimate hipster because it did it before it was cool. Long before the MCU became inescapable, Unbreakable broke down what it meant to be a superhero.
An examination of what a superhero is, the journey of a superhero, as well as the nature of good and evil, Unbreakable is more of a comic book movie than a superhero film. Seeing how some of Superman’s best stories are deconstructions of who he is, the ties between him and Unbreakable becomes that much more strong.
Iron Giant: Superman Is Essential To The Narrative
Early in The Iron Giant’s runtime, Hogarth, The Iron Giant’s new human friend, introduces him to his collection of comics. This scene sees Hogarth explain Superman to The Iron Giant, which truly informs the title character’s character arc.
The Iron Giant has every reason to be a monster. Seemingly designed by an unknown force to be a force of destruction, but a source of human kindness turns this perceived menace into a hero. This parallels how, without the influence of The Kents, Superman would probably be a lot more of a despot.
Unbreakable: It Isn’t Afraid To Be Uncomfortable
Unbreakable has a sense of realism, which is usually the safe word used by people who want to give typically hopeful heroes a bit of grit for no real reason. However, Unbreakable’s realism is one of its strongest elements, as the movie is unafraid to go to some uncomfortable places.
The movie begins with the unseen deaths of several people on a train including a little girl. After the main character David Dunn is proven to be unbreakable, his son pulls a gun on him. David’s first heroic act is saving two children from a sadist who murdered their parents. That should give you a sense of how dark the film can go without muddying its message.
Iron Giant: You Are Who You Chose To Be
Going back to The Iron Giant’s optimistic tone, the message of the film is “you are what you chose to be,” a message stated by Hogarth when The Iron Giant nearly goes bad. In Unbreakable, David only becomes a hero because destiny wants him to, but Iron Giant makes it clear that a true hero chooses to be a hero.
If he wanted to, Clark Kent could be a dictator, a simple farmer, or a Pulitzer winning journalist merely using his powers to make his life easier. However, what makes Clark Kent a hero is that he chose to be Superman, using his abilities to make the world a better place.
Unbreakable: James Newton Howard’s Score
Michael Kamen’s score for The Iron Giant is very good, that’s not up for debate, but James Newton Howard’s score is on another level. Director M. Night Shyamalan collaborated with composer Howard on all of his films until The Visit, with Unbreakable’s score being one of their best.
The score throughout is dark, somber, yet somehow triumphant, but the themes are what sell it. The movie has two main themes “Visions” and “The Orange Man,” which are the type of tracks that will give you chills. When a cue from “Visions” played at the end of Split, there’s a reason fans got hyped.
Iron Giant: Its Hero Is A Hopeful Outsider
Much like Superman, The Iron Giant is an outsider. Both come from the stars, are met with some resistance, but are influenced by optimistic humans to save the world. What separates Superman from The Iron Giant is that while Superman can blend in with the crowd, The Iron Giant has no such luck. Despite this, both parties maintain their positivity.
David Dunn starts his adventure being a normal guy going through issues with his marriage, often coming across as a bit of a pessimist and he can hardly be described as an outsider. The Iron Giant’s situation puts him a little bit closer to The Last Son of Krypton.
Unbreakable: Bruce Willis’ Performance
Though the bulk of the praise for Unbreakable’s cast goes to another performance which will be discussed later, Bruce Willis’ understated performance as David Dunn cannot be ignored. Long before Willis really started phoning in his performances he was a fantastic actor, with David being one of his finest characters.
Despite being a core part of the film’s marketing, Willis doesn’t hog the spotlight all that much in Unbreakable, but his understated performance gives the audience a good sense of what David is like. His performance in the movie’s sequel was pretty good, but nothing tops the original.
Iron Giant: It Ended Perfectly
While the ending of The Iron Giant leaves the door open for the hero’s return, there probably shouldn’t be another Iron Giant film. All the work character development in the film is done and dusted, the ending wraps up the story perfectly, and all a sequel could be is a soulless cash grab.
Unbreakable has had two follow-ups, neither living up to the original. Split is a fantastic movie, if a bit over-the-top, however, it works better as a standalone film or a spin-off of Unbreakable. The film that brought the two movies together, Glass, was an utter mess of a film. Hopefully, The Iron Giant can avoid a similar fate.
Unbreakable: Mr. Glass
Though many people have an impact on Superman, few have molded him more than his nemesis, Lex Luthor. Iron Giant’s antagonist, Agent Kent Mansley, is barely competent, let alone brilliant, but if Elijah Price isn’t the Luthor to David Dunn’s Superman then water isn’t wet.
Price is an obsessed comic book fan convinced that they have an impact on the real world and his eccentricities are brought to life beautifully by Samuel L. Jackson. Often actors are at their best when they play against type and Jackson trading foul-mouthed action men for a cold, calculated threat makes Mr. Glass one of the most underrated villains in cinema history.
